Jessica Lang, Ph.D., who was hired as Fordham University’s inaugural Dean of Arts and Sciences in the spring, recently started her new position on July 1. 

Through visits to Fordham’s Rose Hill, Lincoln Center and Westchester campuses, along with over 200 hours of meetings with campus chairs, directors and upper administrative leaders, she says she has seen a possibility to further integrate Fordham’s community across its different campuses and hopes to use her new role to do so. 

Lang’s vision supports President Tania Tetlow’s goal to connect the communities of Fordham’s various campuses. “We should be thinking really comprehensively about what ‘One Fordham’ means, so I love the vision that President Tetlow has,” Lang said. 

Lang graduated from Cornell University in 1995, where she received a degree in English, despite being on a pre-med track. She attributes this switch to her love for literature.

“I just came to the conclusion that I would rather spend my time thinking about really big questions,” she said. 

Lang went on to earn her master’s degree in English from Washington University, Saint Louis in 1997. After working as a school librarian for a year, she earned her Ph.D. in English from Brandeis University in 2004. 

Lang held her first administrative role as a Post Doctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University from 2003 to 2004. But soon after, she decided to take a position at Baruch College as an assistant professor.

At Baruch, she rose through the ranks from assistant professor to associate professor and eventually tenure professor. Because of the various positions she has held throughout her career, Lang said she identifies with faculty members.

“I think that’s a strength. I believe it’s my great strength. I kind of see the lens of the institution through faculty eyes, but I’m also, given my administrative and leadership experience, kind of able to bring these other knowledges, these other experiences, to bear,” Lang said. 

During her time at Baruch, Lang founded the Sandra K Wasserman Jewish Studies Center and began the Antisemitism Studies Lab, which is still a foundational part of the center to this day. Despite no longer being the head of the center, Lang said she was able to create a succession plan that allows her work to continue to aid the Baruch community.

“I know sometimes there’s a feeling that some centers and programs kind of live and die with the individual who started them,” Lang said. “My goal, always, in creating that center was to create a sustainable place of learning and research for the community and for students and faculty.” 

Before coming to Fordham, Lang also served as the Dean of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at Baruch. 

Lang said she believes there is a lot of value in the arts and sciences education and that these areas of study provide enrichment for individuals. When applying for the position of Dean of Arts and Sciences at Fordham, Lang was intrigued by the university’s recent reorganization of the arts and sciences as well as Fordham’s mission.

“I always wanted to be at an institution where arts and sciences was intrinsic to the identity of the institution, to the origin story of the institution and was held at the heart of the institution, and that’s what arts and sciences is at Fordham,” she said.

Lang said she was thrilled when she received the news that she had been accepted to the position.

“It was really a dream come true to get this position,” said Lang. “I got the call and I literally started jumping up and down.”

In her new position, Lang hopes to look for opportunities for unification between Fordham’s campuses. She said her vision is aligned with the strategic goal of “One Fordham” promoted by Tetlow. 

Lang believes reaching the goal of “One Fordham” is not just about Lincoln Center and Rose Hill, but the Calder Center as well. After visiting the campus herself, Lang found that the opportunities the Calder Center provides can give students both academic and social benefits. She hopes that by hosting orientation events or providing more opportunities for field work at the Westchester campus, Fordham can further its unification goal. 

In her position, Lang says she wants to build relationships with Fordham students. So far, she has greeted students and families on first-year move-in day and attended orientation events. 

Looking forward, Lang says she wants to expand her interactions with students into a classroom setting. She hopes to teach first-year English, a core curriculum class, so that she can meet new students and help them integrate into the Fordham community.

“I want to meet with students,” Lang said. “That’s why we’re all here, and I want to stay close to that mission.”